Garment hanger support for automobiles



M. L. HERMSMEYER GARMENT HANGER SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 12, 1948 fi epto 12 1950 Patented Sept. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE GARMENT HANGER SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Claim.

This invention relates to a new and improved garment hanger support and more particularly to a novel garment hanger support for use in modern day automobiles.

Tourists and other travelling people, particularly those who take long, cross-countr trips, are cognizant of the trying trouble of keeping clothing and the like in good condition during the trip. Packing of the clothing in suit cases, travelling bags and the like naturally causes wrinkles, and prior attempts to hang the clothing in the rear of the car on such supports as the edge of the window, the door handles and the like, have frequently resulted in the clothing falling from the support. Furthermore, when the traveller stops overnight, particularly when a large amount of clothing is stored in bags, it is necessary to remove the bags from the trunk of the automobile for the evening and to place them in the trunk the following morning. Carrying the bags in any other part of the automobile does not solve the problem. The clothes still gather wrinkles in the bags.

It is a prime object of the present invention to provide a garment hanger support for temporary attachment to the inside of an automobile by which clothing may be suspended and carried upon suitable hangers.

It is another object of the invention to provide a garment hanger support of the character specified which is extremely simple in construction and which is capable of being readily and rapidly set up for use without injury to or marring of the automobile.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garment hanger support which is adjustable for use in any width of automobile and which may be readil and conveniently installed and removed at any time.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a garment hanger support of the character specified which is neat, compact, attractive in appearance and which is cheap to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, which will be apparent during the course of the following description, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the garment hanger support of the present invention installed for use in the rear of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a top view, partl in section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, enlarged and partly in section, showing the manner in which the garment hanger support is mounted on the beading of the automobile;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View showing the manner in which the tube is bent and cut to provide means for securing the garment hanger support to the beads in the automobile; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front view in section, showing the adjustable m ans for varying the Width of the support.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral i represents generall the body of an automobile, while 2 is the interior lining of the roof or ceiling and 3 the interior lining of the side walls. In most makes of present day automobiles, these linings are joined one to the other by beading material 4 positioned, as shown in the drawings, just below the roof of the automobile and preferably immediately over the window line. This beading material provides supporting abutments for th garment hanger support of the present invention. However, it should be understood that other abutment supports might be available in different makes of automobiles, such as interior window moldings or body trim parts.

The garment hanger support itself is composed of two complementary tubes 5 and ii of substantially the same size and configuration. These tubes are made of any convenient lightweight metal or plastic. Each of these tubes 5 and 6 is bent downwardly, in any convenient method, at an angle of about 38 at points i and 8 and then bent outwardly about 27 then bent at points 8 and ill at an angle of about 62 to provide tube sections H and [2 which are positioned substantially at right angles to the main tubes 5 and 6. The tubing is then bent back at about 62 /2, as at points 9' and H), and riveted to the main portion as at E3 and M. This bending, as will be readily apparent from the drawings, particularly Fig. 4, provides at the end of each tube 5 and t a diamond-shaped, fan-like configuration. The tube sections H and I2 are then split lengthwise and cut inwardly as at i5 and It and the material flared out to provide upper lip H and lower lip 18. Lower lip I8 is provided with a strip of felt or like material [9. It is to be understood, in the description of the fan-like configuration, that the two members are precisely the same and descriptive matter relating to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, showing the 3 right-hand fan-like member is equally applicable to the left-hand fan-like member.

The garment hanger support is made readily adjustable by providing a single tube 20 of smaller diameter than the tubes 5 and 6 and which is adapted to slide within said tubes 5 and 6, all as shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Tube 5 is provided with a rivet or the like 2! which functions as a stop for one end of the tube 20 and the other end of this tube 20 is fixed with respect to tube 6 by means of a free riding collar 22 with set screw 23.

The garment hanger support, aswill now become readily apparent, is very easily mounted in the rear of the automobile by first loosely assembling the three tubes 5, 6 and 20, setting thelips I 1 and I8 over the beading 4, then setting the corresponding lips of tube 5 over beading 4 on the other side of the automobile, making sure that the lips grip the beading 4 firmly, and then tightening set screw 23. The garment hanger support is likewise readily removed merely by loosening set screw 23, sliding tube 20 into tube 6,until tube 20 is disengaged from tube5, then slightly lowering the inner ends of tubes 5 and 6, disengaging the lips from the beading, and re- .moving the device from the automobile.

.is adjustable to accommodate widths of approximately 47-56 inches. More specifically, each tubing section 5 and 5 is 23 /2 inches in overall-length and the smaller pipe 20 is preferably 20 inches in length. Tubes 5 and 6 are /2 inch tubes, while .tube 20 is a /5 inch tube. Rivet 2|, forming a stop for tube 20, is conveniently about 7 /2 inches from the inner end of pipe 5. .By bending the tube to form the fan-like configuration described above, and cutting in the manner described, the gripping lips I7 and 10 will be about 5 inches in length. To repeat, these specific dimensions are given to illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not to be considered limitative in any sense.

What is claimed is:

.1. A garment hanger support for, ready installation in the rear section of an automobile interior which comprises a support member adapted -having flared, turn-lipped edges for firmly gripping the heading above the rear automobile windows.

2. A garment hanger support for ready installation in'the rear section of an automobile interior which comprises a support member adapted 'to be readily positioned width-wise of said rear section of the automobile interior, said support member consisting of two complementary tubes horizontally adjustable one to the other, the outer ends of both complementary tubes being bent downwardly and upon themselves to provide triangular, fan-like configurations having a tube portion disposed at right angles to the main body of each complementary tube, said right angled tube portions being split horizontally and having flared, twin-lipped edges for firmly gripping the beading above the rear automobile Windows.

MELVIN L. HERMSMEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,107,624 Mann Aug. 1s,\1914 1,558,977 Gray Oct. 27, 1925 1,897,107 Baus Feb.. 14, 1933 1,959,974 Westgate May 22, 1934 2,020,991 Brody Nov. 12, 1935 2,031,460 Chambless Feb.. 18, 1936 2,031,461 Chambless Feb. 18, 1936 2,067,661 Ferrelle Jan. 12,1937 2,115,323 'Wuest Apr. 26, 1938 2,144,772 Plants Jan- 24, 1939 2,253,423 Feller et a1 Aug. 19, 1941 2,336,274 Mozet Dec. 7, 1943 

